New Paths Shawl Free Knitting Pattern

When I went to NY in January for Lion Brand’s #LBBloggerBash, I was gifted two skeins of this beautiful silk yarn in vibrant hues of purple, fuschia and blue. I wasn’t sure what to do with just 2 small skeins of yarn, but it turned into a long and lightweight shawl, perfect for weddings, summer evenings, or summer evening weddings! Here’s the story of my New Paths Shawl.

So here I was, with 2 skeins of Lion Brand LB Collection Silk, and I didn’t want them to just sit and linger in my stash as so many yarns do. I had finished a major project at work, and was contemplating taking a big leap off a cliff to my next life adventure. I wanted to gift a friend with something made from these little 50g skeins of yarn, but I needed a project that didn’t require too much math, nor a particular gauge, and had to be open-ended enough to take me as far as the yarn could take me. I figured I’d try an asymmetrical shawl, since in essence, this type of shawl is just row after row after row until you get to the size you want, or the yarn runs out, whichever comes first!

I used this asymmetrical shawl recipe from Joanne Thread Head as the basis for my shawl. It explained the basic concept of an asymmetrical build, which is really quite simple. For the bottom edge of the shelf, increase a stitch on every row. For the top edge of the shawl, alternate between decreasing by a stitch, and keeping the same number of stitches. If you’re feeling math-y, you can probably graph it out; I’m sure it translates well to x’s and y’s!

I like the repetition and math and simplicity of this project. Simply put, knit in garter stitch following the basic 2 row pattern for the entire first skein of yarn. Then, somewhere towards the beginning of the second skein, add in a swath of eyelet lace, and then work in garter stitch until you are out of yarn. That’s it. (Although, I did fight with the eyelet lace part for a few hours, as I’m still learning when it comes to frogging knit stitches and I couldn’t figure out how to work back my lace correctly. I swear, there were a few moments of panic when I thought I’d lose the whole thing.) You can work this shawl as I’ve just explained, and let the yarn tell you when to switch to eyelet and back, or follow the pattern I’ve provided below for more specific instructions.

This shawl, with its swath of lace in the middle, like a gravel path through a field, represents the new path that I’m taking in my career. The friend who received this shawl is also starting on a new path, and we will walk our paths together. Like this pattern, I don’t know where the path will lead, but I’m confident it’ll be somewhere beautiful: full of life, color, and friendships.

Abbreviations

k2togtbl – knit 2 stitches together through back loop; single right-leaning decrease

ktbl – knit through back loop

yo – yarn over

k2tog – knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease

Pattern Notes

Gauge: 15 sts and 30 rows in 4 inches.

Scarf is approximately 59 inches from corner to corner.

Please note you’ll need a loose bind-off at the end. You can also switch to larger needles to get a looser bind-off.

New Paths Shawl Instructions

Row 1: Cast on 5 sts.

[ GARTER ]

Row 2: Kfb, knit across until last 2 sts, k2togtbl

Row 3: Ktbl, knit across until last st, kfb

Repeat Row 2-3, 87 more times.

[ LACE ]

Row 178: Kfb, knit across until last 2 sts, k2togtbl.

Row 179: Ktbl, [yo, k2tog] until last 2 sts. K1, kfb.

Row 180: Kfb, knit across until last 2 sts, k2togtbl.

Row 181: ktbl, [yo, k2tog] until last st, kfb.

Repeat Rows 178-181, 3 more times.

Repeat Rows 178-180, once more.

[ GARTER ]

Repeat Rows 2-3, 33 times.

Bind off loosely.

Check out my pattern shops on Craftsy and Etsy where you can purchase printable PDFs of my latest crochet patterns. These PDFs are formatted without comments or ads, and have instructional photos at the bottom for optional printing.

I sometimes include affiliate links in my supply lists, as indicated by an asterisk.Purchasing from these merchants earns me a small commission with no extra cost to you, and goes towards supporting One Dog Woof.

Please be respectful and do not sell or distribute this pattern in any way, especially as your own. Instead, share the original blog post link! You can sell finished products made from this pattern by giving credit to One Dog Woof as the pattern designer and linking to the blog post. If you have any questions regarding distribution or translation of this pattern, please see my Terms of Use. Thank you for your consideration!

Hi, I noticed that this pattern is being offered as a kit with Landscape yarn on the Lionbrand website. I’d like to purchase the kit, but I don’t like any of of the colors offered. Is the pattern the same with the size of needles and yarn used the only exceptions?